Once In A Blue Moon
by Alia Iris
Summary: An old friend returns two years after the game, carrying a certain mystery in her wake. Feuding, fighting and romance are just the beginning. Please R&R! Chapter 10 is up!
1. Mysterious Old Friend

_Disclaimer: Ok, here goes: Final Fantasy VIII belongs to Squaresoft, but the story we are writing belongs to US. Same goes for Alia Elholme, Iris Bardok (in fact, everyone going by the name "Bardok"), and Lloric Seagill. The name "Seagill" probably also belongs to Squaresoft, but the character and the name "Lloric" is ours._

* * *

Chapter 1: Mysterious Old Friend

* * *

The gunmetal grey clouds above Balamb Garden were suddenly pierced by a flood of sunlight which illuminated a group of eight warriors. The eight people in question were lazily lounging on a patch of grass, and seemed to welcome the sunlight. 

A man with short-cropped blond hair sat with his back against a wall with a girl of about eighteen resting her head in his lap and dozing, her short chestnut ponytail undone. 

A little further off, another couple was lounging in the grass: A raven-haired girl was tickling a medium-height man with wild brown locks under the nose with a blade of grass, causing him to make a face which turned into a grin when he opened his eyes and saw her mischievous expression. 

A tiny woman in a ridiculously short yellow dress was wearing the black Cowboy hat which belonged to the ponytailed man sitting next to her. He was about to playfully nibble her ear, provoking a small giggle from her. 

The other two warriors both sat seperately, the blue-eyed blonde woman sitting as if in profound meditation, and the tattooed blond youth lying on his stomach, plucking grass and chewing some of the blades. It was a rare picture of complete peace in the Garden, when no particular hazardous missions were handed out to the eight elites. 

Suddenly, one of the near-by loudspeakers crackled and a male voice announced, "The following SeeDs please report to Headmaster Cid: Commander Squall Leonhart, Quistis Trepe, Irvine Kinneas, Rinoa Heartlily, Selphie Tilmitt, Zell Dincht, Seifer Almasy and Alia Elholme!" 

The group of warriors stirred, some of them grumbling about the interruption. They were mildly curious about the fact that Seifer and Alia had been specifically called to attend the meeting as well, however. The small woman in the yellow dress handed the hat back to her ponytailed companion while the other two couples rose up and stretched. The lone blonde's eyes snapped open and she swung herself up on her hands, briefly carrying her whole body weight on them. The tattooed man plucked a last blade of grass, chewed on it, then spat it out. The tall blond man who had been sitting with his back against the wall had to rouse the girl who had fallen asleep in his lap. After so many years at the Garden, all of them had learned to sleep through the loudspeaker. The girl grumbled and tied up her ponytail with the hairtie she had around her wrist. 

The group of SeeDs made their way to headmaster Cid's office, only to be surprised by a figure already standing there, her back turned to them. From what Alia could see, she had short chestnut hair in a style remarkably similar to Squall's, and she was wearing a pair of very light cargo pants off-set by little bits of orange, as well as a simple white tank. 

When her fellow SeeDs stopped to stare at the stranger, Alia stopped as well to see their faces. Most of them wore an expression that seemed to be recognition mixed with disbelief. Even Selphie was silent. Seifer didn't look very happy about what he saw, but that wasn't unusual, since most people who knew him still despised him. 

Finally, Quistis made her way to the newcomer, causing her to turn around. Alia saw Quistis's eyes widen, and her usually calm features overcome with a strange sort of emotion. The stranger, however, gave her a friendly smile, the kind that you only give to a close friend. 

"Hello, Quistie," the stranger said in a clear, fairly deep voice. "Good to see you again." 

To Alia's surprise, Quistis threw her arms around the newcomer and hugged her tightly. The newcomer returned the gesture, then drew away from the blonde to get a good look at her. 

"You haven't changed much," she observed. 

Quistis still remained silent, as if she didn't trust her voice. However, several emotions were crossing her face in as many heartbeats. The other SeeDs covered the last few meters to the brunette in a run. Only Seifer and Alia followed more slowly. Alia turned to the blond man inquisitively. 

"Do you know her?" she asked him. 

Seifer nodded grimly. 

"Ooh, yeah. An old... _classmate_ of ours, you could say. She decided to... _disappear_ about two and a half years ago." 

Alia turned to look at the newcomer, in time to watch her greet the group. She was just nodding at Squall, a barely noticable movement. Rinoa received a mischievous grin, probably induced by the fact that taciturn Squall actually had his arm around her. Alia realised that the short-haired brunette towered several inches over her half brother. Selphie traded delighted grins with the stranger, and Irvine was greeted with a little smirk. _One of those few who are immune to him,_ Alia reflected. She walked over while the SeeDs finally started talking in loud excited voices, and Alia caught a glimpse of the newcomer playfully wrestling with Zell. Quite an amusing sight, since she towered five or six inches over the tattooed SeeD. 

When Alia and Seifer joined the group, the stranger was explaining her sudden disappearance and reappearence. 

"I had a bit of... _family_ business to attend to. Quite urgently, may I add. And headmaster Cid contacted me the other day, wanting another back-up SeeD." 

The group gasped at the former bit of information. Selphie pointed at her short locks, which were offset by a few strands of brilliant white at the front. 

"Is that why your hair...?" 

"Uh-huh," the stranger affirmed. "It got rather annoying to be mistaken for someone else all the time." 

She turned her attention to Alia and Seifer, and her smile evaporated to be replaced by a look of mingled curiosity and criticism. 

"Now _there's_ an unexpected sight. Long time, no see, Soap-man." 

Seifer gave her a dirty look. 

"I think the feeling is mutual, Bardok." 

Quistis laid her hand on the girl's shoulder. 

"It's okay. He's one of us now." 

The stranger raised an eyebrow, then shrugged and turned to Alia, her look of curiosity still in place. Before she could say anything, Squall walked up in front of her. 

"My half-sister, Alia," he explained. 

The newcomer eyed Alia curiously. 

"From Raine's side?" she guessed. 

Squall nodded. 

Suddenly, the stranger extended a long-fingered but strong hand out for Alia to shake. 

"I'm Iris," she said bluntly. 

"What happened to `Juniko'?" Zell asked behind her. 

Alia blinked and shook the hand, which was much larger than her own. In fact, the whole person was much larger than she was. She was only an inch shorter than Seifer, though Alia suspected the thick-soled slippers contributed to that fact. Now close up, she also realised that Iris's eyes were a vivid amber. 

Iris shrugged. "Turns out Juniko was just a variation on a sort of registration name. I'm trying to get used to my real name now." 

"Not gonna happen," Zell crowed, probably still partly due to the surprise of seeing the tall woman. "You're always gonna be Juniko to me!" 

"Wanna bet?" 

Suddenly, the lithe brunette had caught Zell in a headlock, threatening to give him a massive noogie. 

"What's my name? The answer better be the right one, or I'll seriously mess up you hair." 

"Juniko," Zell wheezed stubbornly. 

He had to pay with his complicated spiked hairdo for that. When Iris was done with him, his blond locks were sticking out as if they were trying to resemble a compass. Zell finger-combed his hair into the chin-length curtain it really was, apparently quite unruffled. 

Alia couldn't help it. The general happy atmosphere was contagious. She found herself grinning too. Only Seifer didn't seem so delighted about Iris's appearance. 

In the middle of the reunion, headmaster Cid poked his head out of his office, mildly surprised by what he saw. 

"I see you have already been reunited an acquainted," he said drily. "May I ask you lot to come in?" 

The group of SeeDs made their way into the office, preparing for a long and probably boring conference. 

* * *


	2. Clash Of The Titans

_Disclaimer: Well, read it on the last chapter. We should be able to leave them out in future chapters._

* * *

Chapter 2: Clash of the Titans

* * *

"Well, that was boring as!" Zell announced as the nine combat specialists headed to SeeD's Warrior café for a long-awaited lunch. Everyone laughed as Zell began to explain the virtues of hotdogs to Iris. 

"They're the greatest food on earth! That tangy barbecue sauce, on a soft bread roll with a hot sausage. Nothing beats a good hotdog," he said happily, waving his arms around like a windmill. Squall snorted. 

Iris grinned at the short blond man. "Whatever you say, Zell. But I don't happen to like your tangy barbecue sauce, so I'll just stick with the fish-head curry." 

Zell shuddered. "How can you eat fish-heads?" he demanded. 

Iris shrugged. "It's not the head itself I'm eating, just the flesh at the back and under the cheeks." 

Zell immediately proceeded to pour a tirade of shocked and disgusted words over Iris's innocent head. 

Alia lagged behind a little, walking slowly, and thinking. _Who is that girl? And what's the past of hers that everybody but me seems to understand? I hate being left out. Why won't anyone explain things to me? I am eighteen._

A scowl settled upon her delicately carved face, and she was irritated for the whole meal. 

Iris and Zell continued to squabble about their disagreeing food habits. The tall brunette pointedly lifted a bowl of rice and sniffed it with a dramatically blissful "Ahh." 

"Aw puh-leeze!" Zell said with his usual huge hand gestures. "Rice has no smell!" 

"It does too," Iris sniffed. "A very pleasant one at that!" With that, she shoved the rice bowl under Zell's nose. 

Zell took a dubious sniff, then shook his head. "You're messing with my mind," he accused. 

Iris shrugged. "Not my fault if you've got psychological cotton balls up your nose." 

"And it's not my fault that you're killing off your tastebuds with too-hot curries," he shot back. 

"I can still classify wines better than you can," Iris said coolly and scooped up a handful of rice with a shred of Naan bread, apparently quite enjoying her meal. 

However, this time Alia couldn't be infected with the cheerful mood Iris and Zell were spreading. She didn't even notice the rare delighted grin Quistis was wearing. 

Seifer was also tight-lipped, only speaking up a few times. He looked over at Alia, who was frowning into her chicken and salad sandwich. _Looks like she's trying to give it the death stare,_ thought Seifer. He shifted his chair closer to her, and rested his arm on her shoulders. Alia looked up and produced a wavery smile, but nothing like her usual bright, sunny grin. 

A pair of alert amber eyes flicked over to the couple, wearing an expression of mild curiosity. 

"So, how long have you two been together?" Iris asked in the casual tone she used in delicate situations. 

Alia struggled to her feet, shrugging off Seifer's arm. Her anger was clear. 

"Why the hell should I tell you anything," she fumed, kicking her chair out of the way. "You think you can waltzing in and become my best friend? Just because you happen to know my brother and all my friends? Well let me tell you something, Iris, Juniko or whatever your stupid name is," she snapped. "It's not gonna happen to I learn a little more about you!" 

With that she stalked off. Seifer shot a furious glare at Iris, and followed her. 

Iris recoiled. "Um," she said quietly. 

Squall shook his head. 

"Alia's a naturally suspicious person, and her past hasn't helped. She doesn't usually go off in the deep end like that, but her relationship with Seifer is a very tender area, and she gets enough bullshit about that from everyone else." 

"I'd better go and apologise," Iris said, getting up from her chair. Quistis pulled her down. 

"You'd better let her cool off first. She's not good to be around when she's angry." 

Iris nodded glumly. She hadn't meant to antagonise the young girl. _I really need to learn to keep my big mouth shut,_ she thought ruefully. _And I really wanted to make a good impression._

"Well guys, and gals, I gotta run. See youse all later," said Irvine, hopping up and tipping his hat. Selphie, Zell, Rinoa and Quistis followed him, briefly waving a good-bye. 

Squall remained, and smiled at Iris. 

"Don't let my sis get you down. Go out and have some fun." He grinned. "I can personally suggest The Bowl, if you want to do some sparring or training. Zell will probably want to test you out." 

Iris sighed, remembering. 

"Those dark granite cliffs hold some pretty special memories for me," she remarked lazily. "My first real fight, my first bad wound - " She blushed. "My first kiss." 

Squall grinned. It was a fairly popular little rainy-day story that Iris had received a surprise kiss from Lloric Seagill, a part-black SeeD. Lloric had walked away with a red handprint on his left cheek, but had received an apology and several weeks of sweet romance before Iris had chosen to disappear shortly afterwards. 

"Lloric hasn't been involved with any other females since you left, by the way," Squall commented, just a tiny glimmer of mischief leaving his eyes. "He's on a little mission at the moment, but should arrive here this evening." 

Iris blushed, and wore the embarrassed grin which would have turned into a giggle had she been Selphie. 

The commander winked, and got up from his chair. 

"Well, my first real kiss - "His voice dropped to low whisper - "Was on the balcony of the Garden." 

Iris mock-swooned, now cured from her embarrassment. "And I can guess the recipient - a certain raven-haired Galbadian?" 

Squall nodded and laughed, and extended a hand to help her up. 

"I'll meet you at The Bowl in about an hour, okay?" 

"Sounds good. See you then." 

Squall waved, and disappeared down the hall. Iris exhaled loudly, and looked at her map of the Garden. 

"Okay, my dorm should be right here - " Iris reached into her pocket and fumbled around for the keycard Cid had given her. 

"What are you doing?" 

Iris swung around, and looked down slightly to see an annoyed Alia, holding an identical keycard. 

"Oh. Um, I guess that means we're rooming, together, then." 

Alia rolled her eyes in disgust, and let out a barely audible, "Duh." 

Iris stood back, and let the hot-tempered girl unlock the door. 

"Hey, look, Alia..." she began carefully. 

"What?" Alia's head whipped around, her eyes still flashing from the anger she felt towards her new roommate. 

The tall brunette bit her lip for a second, then lifted her head and used her usual blunt manner. 

"Look, I'm really sorry I pissed you off back there. I was just kinda surprised Seifer had found himself a girlfriend, who, to add to the irony, is Squall's sister." 

Alia's eyes narrowed, and she looked the newcomer up and down, considering. Iris let her do so, not wanting to provoke her. 

After a long silence, Iris spoke again. 

"I think we should at least come to a truce if we want to get some decent sleep while we're rooming," she said quietly. "It's not like we have to do the instant friendship thing." 

"I wouldn't do that anyway," Alia snapped. She looked the taller girl over again, then sighed. "But I guess you are right about the truce thing." 

Iris nodded slowly, still doing her best not to provoke Alia's hot temper. 

Alia watched the cargo-clad SeeD plop down onto her bed, surprised at how upset she looked. _Funny, that. One of those multiple personalities._ She continued to watch as Iris picked up a vaguely cream-coloured knit jumper and tied it around her waist. Just as Iris was about to leave, Alia stopped her. 

"Will I have to find out about your SeeD-related history via the others, or will you be the one to tell me?" 

Iris turned around in the doorway, and a small grin crossed her features once more. 

"I will tell you, if you want me to. But not before you've cooled down a bit." 

With that, she had disappeared, leaving Alia briefly shocked into silence. Gone from that totally quiet unprovocative attitude to the other blunt personality. _Well!_

* * *


	3. Battle

Chapter 3: Battle 

* * *

Zell strolled into the practice court, whistling jauntily. He winked at his group friends sitting on the sidelines, and waved. Alia nodded briefly from where she was sitting on a tall chair at the other end of the court, and raised a megaphone to her mouth. 

"Zell Dincht, SeeD Rank A, unarmed combat specialist!" she announced. Squall, Rinoa, Seifer, Irvine, Quistis and Selphie cheered loudly. Selphie wolf-whistled shrilly and winked at the blond man, who was preening in the middle of the court. 

A tall, wiry figure entered, wearing a pair of white and orange military- style cargoes, and a white tank. Her short brown locks were secured back from her face with a thin white head-band. Iris merely glanced at her friends. Her mouth twitched as she saw Zell acting like a complete idiot, bowing, running around and generally showing off. Iris turned and glanced at Alia. The brunette inclined her head, and raised the megaphone again. "Iris Bardok, SeeD Rank A, unarmed and sword combat specialist!" 

The two fighters were given a few minutes to warm up, a chance often used to show off skills and intimidate the opponent. After having finished his stretches, Zell promptly did several flips, back and forth. Iris simply smiled and continued her stretches, only lashing out a few short sharp kicks and punches of the most basic style. 

Zell bowed once more, and turned to face his opponent. Iris's lips curved in a mischievous grin, and she returned the bow. She stepped forward and the pair shook hands. 

"You will have ten minutes until time-out," Alia announced. 

Back on the sidelines, a certain Galbadian cowboy and the commander of Balamb Garden had a pen and some sheets of paper between them. 

"Well, Iris has the obvious advantage in armed combat, Zell's skills with a sword aren't too good," muttered Squall. 

"Yes, but the problem is unarmed combat. Have you ever seen Iris in action?" asked Irvine. 

Squall shook his head. 

"Neither have I, but I would be inclined to think that Zell has the advantage there, although her height may make things trickier for him," Irvine continued. 

"Okay, so the odds for Zell winning in unarmed would be - " 

"What are you boys doing?" asked a stern voice over Squall's shoulder. 

Irvine hastily covered up the papers. 

"Er, nothing, Instruct - Quistis," said Irvine guiltily. 

Quistis pursed her lips in disapproval. She knew well what those two were up to, but... let them have their fun, it's the first time they see Iris in action for a long time, she excused herself. She walked away, pretending she hadn't seen a thing. 

As soon as Quistis had left, Irvine hurriedly whispered his proposal to Squall. 

"I'll bet you a soda that Zell wins," he murmured next to Squall's ear. 

Squall nodded slowly. He had a hunch that Iris wouldn't be that disadvantaged, he remembered that in her sword-work she had been quick and light on her feet, and her endurance was also good. Plus she had more macho pride than all male SeeDs combined. Zell would have a handful to deal with. 

The commander watched his half sister walk up to the pair. Both Iris and Zell had assumed a fighting stance, and Squall couldn't detect any openings in either of their blocking arms. Good start. He continued to watch as Alia leaned forward and held her hand between the two. Then she withdrew it in a lightning-fast upward cutting motion and ran away, signalling the two combat specialists to begin. 

For several seconds, neither of them moved, obviously intending to out-wait each other. Finally, Zell covered the short distance between them in a few short quick steps and threw several quick jabs which were equally quickly blocked. He withdrew once again. Squall seemed to detect a smirk on both of their faces. 

Iris mirrored his attack. Just when she was about to move back, Zell lashed out a lightning-fast punch. Iris seized the opportunity and grabbed hold of his wrist with her left hand, then used her hold on it to move in closer with high momentum and deliver an knife-hand strike just below the base of his neck. In real life it would have been the neck itself, but it would have caused too much damage in this case. 

The tall brunette quickly disentangled herself from her opponent and moved back, leaving him with just enough time to flex his sore neck muscles. From then on, they kept circling around each other, exchanging the occasional punch and kick, growing more elaborate as they went along. 

Suddenly, Zell found the opportunity to seize Iris's right wrist with his left as she had done to him before. Keeping her arm aligned with the rest of her body, he moved her hand skywards and her head down in a diagonal swing, causing her to bend over in a perfect position for him to knee her in pretty much every vulnerable part there was. 

Zell's kneeing motion was blocked with a quick downwards chop with Iris's left hand, and immediately followed by a hook punch in his stomach. Not enough to do any damage, but just enough to catch him off-guard and give her the opportunity to bend back up and deliver an inward knife-hand strike to the side of his head. Another technique which would have gone to the throat in real life. Iris moved a little further away and used the moment Zell was off-guard to throw a flurry of quick jabs at him which pelted him on the chest. In full contact, a broken rib would have been a possibility. 

The timer showed 5:39. They broke apart once more. The mutters of approval subsided. 

Now the battle turned more energetic. The fighters moved further away from each other, a sign that they would be doing more kicks than punches now. 

Suddenly, Iris charged in Zell's direction, not at all like the conservative fighting style she had demonstrated so far. She launched herself in the air, her right leg extended to hit Zell's head in only a few split seconds' time. Zell dodged to the side just in time, now behind his opponent. Iris rammed her elbow backwards, and almost hit Zell in the stomach. Zell had just managed to block the strike. A flurry of kicks and double-shifts followed. Their grunts of effort could be heard, and their sweat was soaking their clothes. 

7:23. 

From then on, their battle was filled with lots of small snapping kicks, as well as several feints. Finally, after Zell had just finished a short combination with a punch, they moved to close quarters once more. They kept exchanging punches which were only indestinct blurs to the viewers. 

9:30 

Zell's punches became more frequent and powerful. Iris managed to catch him by the wrist with her left hand, and levered him to the ground with her left leg. Standing over him, her right leg swung up as high as it could, just about to come chopping down on Zell's ribcage. Zell already held his hands in position to smother the kick. 

"Time out!" Alia yelled into the battle. 

Iris's head snapped up, and her leg gently came to rest on the floor again. She grinned and bent down to offer Zell a hand up. Zell considered for a second, then grinned evilly and pulled the brunette down on top of him. 

"Why, Iris, I didn't know you cared," he joked. 

Iris swatted him indignantly and got up off of him. 

"If you're not careful, it won't last," she retorted and pulled him up. 

The SeeDs on the sidelines broke into cheers and crowded around the fighters. Squall and Irvine stayed behind, pondering their little dilemma. 

"I guess it's a draw," Squall commented. 

Irvine nodded. "I suppose that means we both owe each other half a soda." 

Squall shrugged and followed the rest of the group. 

Iris and Zell were at the centre of the group, accepting towels and bottles of water. During their battle, they had practically sprayed each other with their sweat. Iris's tank top was soaked, but the outline of a crop top could be made out against the material where the sweat hadn't managed to get through. She towelled her face dry and gratefully took a swig of water. 

"You've improved," she commented to the sweat-soaked blond man next to her. 

"What, do you think I've just been sitting on my lazy hindquarters?" Zell gasped in return, still tired from the battle. 

Iris shrugged. "Maybe." 

Zell glared at her indignantly, which provoked an apologetic grin from Iris. 

"No offense intended," she added. 

Squall and Irvine quickly moved away from the group, and returned with four glasses and two cans of soda. They set the various utensils down on the floor, and both opened their cans. 

Iris watched with mild interest as they started to do their best at filling exactly half of each can into each glass. She didn't remember Squall as so prone to doing strange things like that. 

"What exactly are you doing?" Quistis demanded incredulously behind Iris's back. 

"We owe each other half a soda," Irvine explained and went back to his precise measurements. 

Selphie danced up to him and hugged him from behind. 

"Can I have the other half? Please please please?" 

Irvine grinned at his girlfriend. "Only if you're very very good." 

Selphie promptly sat down cross-legged in as prim a manner as possible, which unfortunately failed miserably by the fact that her dress was too short. In the end, she just settled for kneeling. Rinoa grinned and followed Selphie's suit. 

"And what about us?" Zell demanded indignantly. "Do we have to watch you enjoying your half-sodas while we go thirsty?" 

"Go get your own," Squall said calmly and toasted Rinoa with his glass. 

Iris jumped up. "I'll go get 'em." She winked at the two betters and strolled off. 

Iris made her way down one of the familiar corridors, gratefully noting that her tank was drying. Just a few meters before the canteen, a tall cargo-clad dark-skinned figure carrying a pair of katals blocked the way. She was about to ask him to move aside when the young giant turned around, revealing a fine-chiseled dark-eyed face. 

Iris stopped dead in her tracks. The man dropped his katals, and only choked out one word. 

"Juniko?" 


	4. Consequences

Chapter 4: Consequences 

* * *

Iris stood perfectly still, staring at the dark SeeD in front of her. If she had anything which resembled an intuition, this was not going to be pretty. 

"It really is you," the SeeD said in utter disbelief. Iris could detect a note of the sort of pain which comes from having salt rubbed into old wounds in his voice. 

"Yes, Lloric," she said quietly. 

For a moment, it looked like the young giant would create an emotional display of affection, but then his features hardened. 

"What are you doing here, Juniko?" he asked in a barely neutral, slightly cold voice. Iris could tell that it still covered a storm of unsorted emotions though. Still, the cold note in his voice was a sharp jerk on her heartstrings. 

"I live here," she answered in a quiet voice. 

"Could've fooled me, the way you ran off," Lloric said, now with a note of anger in his voice. "Just disappearing without a word. And Headmaster Cid wouldn't tell where the hell you went." 

Iris winced. "I asked him not to. Please, Lloric..." 

Lloric's features remained unreadable. Without a word, he picked up his katals which had clattered to the floor, and went his way, leaving Iris standing in the hallway. 

For a while, she just stood there, unable to move. It took her several minutes before she turned back on her heel and strode into the opposite direction, where her friends were still laughing and carrying on. Even Seifer was smiling, an unusual sight on his face. 

Zell turned around at her approach. 

"What happened to the half sodas?" he inquired. 

Iris recoiled. "Huh...? Oh. I'm sorry, I forgot." 

She received strange looks from the whole group. 

"What's wrong, Amnesia Chick?" Irvine asked kindly over his quarter-filled glass. 

Quistis glared at him playfully. "Shut your pretty face, Irvine, you might pass as reasonably intelligent if you do," she instructed. Irvine's mouth snapped shut obediently. 

That done, Quistis got up from sitting on the floor, grabbed hold of Iris's arms and steered her back the way she came. 

"I'll make sure she won't forget this time," she called to the others. 

Once they were well out of hearing distance, Quistis stopped walking and let go of Iris's arms. 

"Alright, who walked over your liver?" she asked. 

"It's nothing important," Iris mumbled and looked at the floor. 

"Yeah, and I'm having a secret affair with Headmaster Cid. What's wrong?" 

Iris lifted her head slightly to look Quistis in the eyes. The blonde met her amber gaze squarely. The question behind it was evident. She was right, of course. Why should she tell someone she hadn't seen for two years? 

The instructor gripped Iris's arms again and her features took on a look of fierce determination. 

"Look, Juniko, you may have been away for a long time, but that doesn't mean I'm not your friend any more," she said quietly. "You have kept your mouth shut for me, and I am willing to do the same for you. Is that clear?" 

Iris had to narrow her eyes a little to stop them from welling up. For a moment, it had really been as if she had never left the Garden. 

Both of them sat down with their backs against a wall. After several minutes of silence, Iris finally spoke again. 

"I ran into Lloric a minute ago." 

Quistis remained silent, and waited for her friend to continue. 

"I... guess he was more upset than I thought he would be." 

Had her voice just cracked a little? Quistis eyed the girl next to her curiously. 

"Did he take it personally?" she asked quietly. She had never really understood why Lloric had been so stubborn about not forgiving Iris for running out like that. Quistis herself, who knew her well, was sure that it had to have been for a very good reason, and the implication Cid had made when he told them that SeeD Juniko Bardok had left the Garden was all the confirmation she needed. As for the others, they were inclined to believe her. But Lloric? It amazed her that he could hold on to a grudge for a whole two years, especially since he was not the type to do such a thing. 

Iris nodded to answer her friend's question. 

Quistis bit her lip, then finally asked the question she had wanted an answer for ever since Lloric had held his grudge. 

"Iris... do you know how come Lloric is won't get over this?" 

The brunette laughed bitterly. 

"Think, Quistis. If someone ran out on you, what would make it particularly bad?" 

Quistis frowned a little. She wasn't sure she liked the direction this was taking. 

In the same harsh voice, Iris continued, "How would you have liked being deflowered, and then have the culprit run off like that?" 

Quistis cringed. 

"Is that what happened?" 

She looked sideways at her friend again. She suspected that the answer was affirmative, judging by the way Iris's hands were clutching her head, fingers buried in her unruly locks, her eyes tightly shut. 

Quistis clapped her friend on the shoulder and got up. 

"Come on. Let's finish our errand." 

* * *

"Tell me again why we're doing this," Iris told Quistis and Zell, who were almost forcibly directing her towards the pub at Balamb. 

"You need something to take your mind off some things," Quistis said in a business-like tone, and almost yanked her friend through the door of the Balamb pub. 

Zell, though he only had a vague idea about the reason for this excursion, had joined the pair. 

"Three rum'n'cokes," Quistis ordered briskly, and shoved a note into the grinning barkeeper's hand. 

"Why, Instructor Trepe, what an honor," the middle-aged man said, maintaining his evil grin. 

Within a minute, all three SeeDs held a glass of dark brown liquid with ice cubes and a half slice of lemon. 

Iris swapped her glass from one hand to the other, not really wanting to start drinking it. 

"Do you need an extra invitation?" Quistis demanded. "Drink." 

"Quistie, you know I don't like this sort of stuff." 

"Tough," Quistis informed her. "I'll make sure you won't get your hands on any of your beloved Liptonice tonight." 

Iris peered at the blonde out of the corner of her eye. _Wanna bet?_ she tought as she watched her friend drain the whole glass in one gulp. An idea was already forming in her mind... 

"Well, look at the distinguished guests over there," Zell interrupted her train of thoughts, pointing at a table of three men with the hand he held his glass with. 

Iris followed the direction of his gaze, and continued to watch the three men out of the corner of her eye. She guessed them to be about in their mid to late forties. The shortest, a man wearing a blue jacket, still looked surprisingly well-preserved, though something about his body language convinced Iris he had to be middle-aged. He had long dark hair, and had obviously been extremely handsome in his young age. 

"President Loire," Zell whispered in her ear. 

Iris looked at him in surprise. 

"Laguna Loire?" she asked quietly. 

"One and the same," Quistis confirmed from her other side. 

Iris continued to eye the man in question. He looked strangely familiar, though she had probably seen a picture of him at some point. As she watched, Laguna broke out laughing at something the dark man opposite to him had just said, his hands curled around a beerglass he took a sip from every now and again. The dark-skinned man he was talking to flashed a wicked grin, which was a shocking contrast to his skin. Kiros Seagill, if she wasn't mistaken. _Lloric's father,_ a wicked voice in her mind told her, causing a small jerk on her heartstrings. 

Hastily, she turned to look at the third man sitting at the table. Even sitting down, Iris could see he was ridiculously tall. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had turned out to be seven feet in height. This man said nothing, but just listened to the conversation. He had a battle-hardened look about him, emphasised by the scar which ran along one side of his face and the faded blue bandanna. Ward Zabac, obviously. 

Iris's eyes darted to take one last look at Laguna Loire, and accidentally caught his gaze. _Whoops._

Iris turned her attention back to Quistis and Zell. Zell had moved to Quistis's other side to tell her some sort of story which only he seemed to understand. While Quistis rolled her eyes and focused on her second glass of rum and coke, Iris tried her best to catch Zell's eye. When she succeeded, her eyes darted from Quistis to her glass, and back to Zell. Zell raised an eyebrow. Iris grinned mischievously. 

"Work with me," she mouthed behind Quistis's back. 

Zell grinned evilly, and wrapped Quistis in another complicated story while Iris attended to her friend's glass. 


	5. Wouldn't It Be Loverly

Chapter 5: Wouldn't It Be Loverly 

* * *

In the dark of the night, a strangely lopsided figure stumbled into Balamb Garden. On close inspection, the strange creature turned out to be three SeeDs, all rather worse for wear. However, while the tall brunette and the short blond youth were just tipsy, the blonde in the middle was in a terrible stupor. 

With a determined effort, the brunette and the blond each yanked the blonde who was none other than Instructor Quistis Trepe up by the armpits, and frogwalked her through the hallways towards her quarters. 

Alia woke up from a light sleep to hear footsteps, and shortly after that, a male voice caterwauling, "It's rather dull in town, Oi think Oi'll take me to Paree, Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." 

Alia blinked. That voice was _very_ familiar. Before she could wonder about that, a second voice, this one female, and obviously very drunk, charoled, "The missus wants to open up the castle in Capree, Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." 

Now Alia stared into the night in shock. It... couldn't be... but... The teen was torn between laughing and sitting still in utter shock. 

A third voice, this one also rather tipsy, continued the song: "The doctor recommends a quoiet summer by the seaaaa," and all three voices chorused, "Mmmmmmmmmm-mmmm, mmmmmmmmmm-mmmm, wouldn't it be loverly?" 

That did it. Alia jumped out of bed, still clad in a T-shirt and a pair of purple satin boxers, and yanked her door open to be greeted with an interesting sight coming down the hallway. There was Quistis Trepe, glasses askew and her normally neat hair coming out of its 'do, held up by her armpits by an immensely cheerful and self-satisfied looking Iris Bardok and Zell Dincht. Alia bit her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud. The out-of-tune trio continued to sing, 

" All I want is a rewm sumwear,  
Far awhy frum tha caowld noight air,  
Wiv' one ee-normus chair,  
Aow, woooldn't it be loverly?  


Lots of chocklit for mei tew eit,  
Lots of caowl mikin' lots of 'eat,  
Warm fice, warm 'hands, warm--"  


Just at that moment, Iris and Zell noticed their audience. Quistis, already too far gone, continued. 

"Aow, saow loverly sittin' abso-bloomin'-lootely still,  
Oi woold neva budge 'till spring  
Crept aover me windasill.  


Someone's 'ead restin' on moi knee...  
" 

Iris frantically tried to stop her singing friend, with little success. 

Alia finally gave way to fits of giggles. When she was done, she helped the two slightly more sober truants to move their singing burden down the hallway. By the time they reached Quistis's quarters, she had already reached her next song ("The Lord above gave man an arm of iron, so he could to his job and never shirk/ The Lord above gave man an arm of iron, but, wiv' a li''le bit of luck, wiv' a li''le bit of luck..."). 

Iris fished Quistis's keycard out of her pocket and was about to unlock the door when an annoyed voice behind them sniffed, "What _are_ you lot doing? Don't you know it is against the rules to wander the hallways after midnight?" The three who were capable of doing so turned to see a small snooty man in the uniform of a low-ranking Garden staff member. Iris looked at Zell and jerked her head towards the snooty guard. Zell grumbled and shoved a bundle of banknotes into the man's hand while Iris and Alia did their best to drag Quistis into her room and lift her onto her bed. By that time, the caterwauling instructor had exhausted herself and had fallen into a noisy sleep. 

When they got out, the Garden guard had disappeared, and Zell just managed to get a peek at Quistis, who looked uncannily like a large crumpled spider in the awkward position the two girls had managed to get her onto the bed in. He grinned wickedly. Poor Quistis would have more than just a hangover when she woke up in the morning. 

Zell and Iris saluted each other with mischievous grins, and the three nightly wanderers went their separate ways. On the way back, Iris started quietly humming "Wouldn't it be loverly" again, causing Alia to dissolve into fits of helpless giggles. When they reached their room, Iris only took off her shoes and flopped onto her bed fully dressed. 

"See you in the afterlife," she mumbled and fell asleep instantly. 

Alia climbed back into her own bed, but couldn't go to sleep for quite a while. Thankfully, Iris's slightly drunken state didn't cause her to snore. 

It looked like the apparently untouchable and perfectly balanced Iris Bardok did get into some amusing messes. Alia grinned into the darkness once more and finally went to sleep. 

* * *

Laguna Loire rested his head in one hand and rubbed his temple with the other. Though he didn't have a full-fledged hangover, his head had developed a slight but insistent ache. He smiled wryly. He kept forgetting that Ward, with his shocking body mass, could handle a lot more alcohol than he could. 

The president turned his attention back to his morning meal, though his thoughts continued to wander. Apart from Kiros's selection of colourful jokes, some clean, some very dirty, he could also remember a group of three SeeDs sitting at the bar, diagonal to him. Two of them he knew: Instructor Quistis Trepe and Zell Dincht, unarmed combat specialist. He knew them to be friends of his son, Squall. 

Laguna poked a hole into his toast with his knife, for no particular reason. The third person, also obviously a SeeD, he didn't know. Or at least, he thought he didn't. She _did_ look uncannily familiar, but he suspected that the memory that familiarity came from had already existed before that SeeD had even been a gleam in her father's eye. 

Listlessly, Laguna bit into his unbuttered toast. He really wasn't in the least bit hungry, it was simply his common sense which told him to at least eat something. He vaguely thought of trying to change his direction of thought, but it intrigued him to find out who or what that SeeD he didn't know reminded him of. He tried to recall the previous night, how that selfsame young woman and her apparent partner-in-crime, Zell Dincht, had made small work of Instructor Quistis Trepe. When he had left with his friends, poor Quistis had already looked like she'd have a head which she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy in the morning. However, before that had happened, he had noticed the SeeD of interest studying him and his friends intently. Though probably nobody else would have noticed it, Laguna had been very aware of her watching them out of the corner of her eye. Laguna took a sip from his orange juice, and wondered. It had been something about her body language which had seemed familiar to him, as well as her general appearance, her wiry, muscular build, her height, her facial features. Even the casual way she had flicked her eyes (were those familiar too?) away from his table after the split second of eye contact he had made with her, and the wicked grin she had worn while plotting to get Quistis wasted had reminded him of something. It was frustrating, because he couldn't put his finger on it. 

He swirled the orange juice in his glass as if it were wine, and decided to stop worrying. Chances were he'd either find out automatically why the thought of that SeeD kept pestering him, or he never would. Whatever sleeping memory this SeeD's appearance had stirred, might be too old for him to ever truly remember. He stirred his rapidly cooling Nescafe, but couldn't quite bring himself to drink that horrible instant stuff which dared pretend to be coffee. Still, the smell was pleasant enough. While he stirred, listening to the sound of the metal spoon scraping against the porcelain cup, he planned the day ahead. Though he was here for presidential reasons, he had planned to visit Squall for a day. Though the boy (boy? He was nineteen years old, and well and truly an adult man by Garden standards) hadn't started to call him `dad' or anything, the fact remained that he was his son. Laguna made a face. Having an adult son reminded him of his own rapidly advancing age. He could afford to forget that three years ago, when Squall hadn't even known his relationship to Laguna, but now it was a completely different kettle of fish. 

But his thoughts had strayed off-topic. Since the SeeD who was causing his headache to worsen with the mystery surrounding her was obviously close friends with Quistis Trepe and Zell Dincht, chances were that she was also friends with Squall. If she could get someone as straight-laced as Instructor Quistis Trepe so completely drunk, Laguna suspected that this girl was also capable of earning the friendship of his taciturn son. That did heighten the possibility of him running into her today, and hopefully the daylight he would see her in would also cast some light on the mystery which perstered him. 

That train of thought completed, he tried to push himself up from his seat, but promptly collapsed back into it. He growled at his stupidity. His slight hangover was still having a slight effect on his coordination. More carefully this time, he pushed himself up by the table, and briefly stood still to banish the dizziness which briefly attacked his slightly befuddled brain. While the last plume of steam rose from his coffee cup, he paid for his meal and strolled outside, hoping the fresh air would partly cure him of his headache. Remembering Quistis, he decided he had no right to complain. This morning, he wouldn't swap positions with her for anything in the world. 


	6. Discovery

Chapter 6: Discovery 

* * *

Quistis groaned. She opened her eyes and groaned again. 

"Who authorised the roadworks in my head this morning?" she mumbled, only slightly intelligible. The blonde instructor tried to sit up, an action that caused the image of her dorm to blur and waver. She flopped back on her pillow, her head protesting the jerky movement. It took another three attempts for her to successfully sit up. Slowly, she shook her head to clear it, sending bolts of pain down through temples. Deciding that moving was not a good idea, she sat perfectly still and waited for the pain to subside, which was a futile exercise. 

"What a night?" she murmured, stumbling towards the shower. She undressed out of last night's crumpled, slept-in clothes, and stepped under the running water. 

Fifteen minutes later, Quistis emerged, looking and feeling a little better. She dug around for some clean garments and raked a brush through her blonde, shoulder-length hair, an exercise that took some time due to her splitting headache and slight unco-ordination. 

She put the brush down, and carefully made her way to the cafeteria. 

* * *

"Morning Quistis. My, someone's had a good night out!" teased the woman serving at the cafeteria. Quistis managed a lopsided smile. 

"Yeah... I have _never_ been drunk before in my life. Ah well, I'm sure I'll get over it, but Holy Hyne, I've got a headache I wouldn't wish on Ultimecia! Cup of green tea please, and a plain bagel." 

"Sure thing, Quistis. Go out into the quad and get some fresh air, it'll help. The others are there too. 20 Gil please." 

Quistis found her purse and handed the friendly lady a few coins, smiled her thanks and took her meagre breakfast out into the quad. Her friends had already secured a large table. Zell, Alia, Iris and Squall were already seated. Zell waved cheekily, and wincing, Quistis raised a hand in return. She sat down next to Squall and gratefully drank down her tea. 

"How're you feeling, Quistie?" asked Alia innocently, with a wicked gleam in her eye. 

"Not too good, I think someone hit me with a sledge hammer in my sleep," replied the blonde, massaging her tender temples. 

Alia giggled. "It seems you're quite well-versed in the Old Terran musicals," she drawled. "Care for a reprise?" 

With a sinister smile, she launched into song, slightly more in tune than her three friends had been the previous night? 

"Someone's 'ead restin' on moi knee,  
Warm an' tender as 'e can be,  
'Oo tikes good care of mei,  
Aow, woooldn't it be loverly?"  


Squall, Zell and Iris joined in. 

"Loverly,  
Lov-er-ly,  
Lov-er...ly!"  


Quistis gasped in shock. 

"You mean??" she stuttered, eyes wide. 

Iris nodded. 

"You were royally pickled, my dear. And it appears that in a drunken state you don't seem to think much of work." 

The instructor blinked in suspicious confusion. 

"Please explain?" she said in a rather shaky voice. 

Iris grinned wickedly, then leaned closer to her friend, cleared her throat, and in a singing whisper charoled the verse of importance. 

"The Lord above gave man an arm of iron,  
So he could do his job an never shirk,  
The Lord above gave man an arm of iron, but,  
Wiv' a li''le bit of luck,  
Wiv' a li''le bit of luck,   
Someone else will do the blinkin' work!"  


Quistis almost spat out a mouthful of her tea. This couldn't be happing! She shook her head in denial and disbelief, wincing in agony as her head protested the movement. 

"Did - did anyone see?" the instructor whispered. She couldn't lose her license a second time, and a few (very unpopular) instructors had lost their licenses for lesser crimes. 

Alia smirked. 

"Let's just say that a member of the Garden Staff is probably off on a shopping spree today. Don't worry Quistie, you'll be fine. Just get some fresh air, drink plenty of water and above all, do not move too much." 

Quistis sent her a venomous look. 

"I suppose _you'd_ know," she sniped. 

"Sshh - big secret," she said mysteriously. 

Iris grinned and tossed the blonde a bottle of aspirin. 

"Here you go. You need it. Apparently _someone here_ - "she nodded meaningfully at Alia, who stared back innocently - "not mentioning any names of course, had some close connections in the clubbing sector of Esthar." 

Quistis blinked again, still too hungover to stare at Alia incredulously. Zell grinned and handed Quistis a glass of water. 

"Drink up, girl," he said kindly. 

* * *

A group of sweaty and bedraggled SeeDs left The Bowl, just in time to catch the last fading rays of sunlight. However, the shape they were in didn't exactly have them in any mood to appreciate the spectacular display. The medium-height blonde opened a bottle of water and started guzzling it down at a shocking speed, not paying any attention to the general rule that one shouldn't drink too quickly after a hard work-out. 

Irvine walked up next to Quistis with an evil grin. 

"Getting used to drinking a lot, are you?" he said in a friendly teasing tone. 

Quistis growled and slapped her tormentor across the face with her towel, causing him the rub his cheek and mutter something about `over-sensitive females'. 

Iris sidled up on Quistis's other side, idly humming the tune of `With a little bit of luck'. This action earned Iris a poisonous glare from the blonde. 

_If looks could kill,_ Iris thought with a grin. 

Irvine's jaw dropped indignantly. 

"Hey! That's not fair," he protested. "I got _slapped_!" The sharpshooter gestured wildly to the fading red mark across his cheek to prove his point. 

Iris shot him a superior look. 

"You have to be a little _subtle_," she explained in an arrogant voice. "Though I don't suppose `subtle' is a word in your vocabulary." 

Irvine lifted his finger and mock-shot her. Iris briefly stumbled, clutching her chest as if fatally wounded, causing chuckles from her companions. 

"If I did _this_, I expect I would earn a slap, however," Iris said after having caught herself. With that, she serenaded the group of SeeDs. 

"The Lord above gave man an arm of - " 

She wasn't given a chance to continue as a sweat-soaked towel hit her squarely across the jaw. However there was no need for her to continue, for her friends had taken on the job. 

" - iron,  
So he could do his job and never shirk  
The Lord above gave man an arm of iron, but  
With a little bit of a luck, with a little bit of luck  
Someone else will do the blinking work!  


With a little bit, with a little bit, with a little bit of luck, you'll never work,  
With a little bit, with a little bit, with a little bit of blooming -"  


So they continued, conveniently ignoring Quistis's steely glare and practically half-dancing their way back to Balamb Garden. 

"They're always throwing goodness at you,  
But with a little bit of luck a man can duck.  


The gentle sex was made for men to marry  
To share his nest and - "  


Suddenly the musically adept combat specialists were shocked into silence. The reason was an imperious-looking figure crossing their path. Squall winced and instantly reverted to his poker-faced self. It wouldn't do for his conceiver to catch him displaying immature behaviour. The other SeeDs stood in what they hoped were quite innocent looking stances. 

"Evening, daddy," Alia said in a jaunty voice. 

A grin flashed in the darkness outside the Garden. 

"I have never known Balamb Garden's finest to sing songs with such unethical messages," he greeted them. 

The group of SeeDs took on a distinctively embarrassed look. 

Laguna chuckled and dropped the subject. 

"Actually, I came to visit you, Squall." 

Squall managed to maintain his neutral expression. 

"How come, uh, d-Laguna?" 

Laguna smiled wryly to himself. _Still can't say it - well eventually he'll get there - hopefully before I die._

Out loud, he answered his son's question. 

"I was in the neighbourhood. I hope that's a good enough reason for me to visit?" 

Squall shrugged, and almost found himself giving his standard `whatever', but swallowed it. 

"I s'pose so." 

Before any awkward silences could arise, Zell shoved himself into the conversation. Swooning melodramatically, he clutched a hand to his throat. 

"Good sir, wouldst thou take thy mercy on us poor, half-starved crowd and" - Zell winked and dropped his formal, medieval tone - "supply our empty stomachs with hotdogs?" 

Iris stared at her friend incredulously. 

"Alright, who are you and what have you done to Zell?" she demanded. 

Zell shushed her and whispered dramatically, "Can't you see I'm trying to get us a free dinner?" 

Laguna laughed and made his proposal. 

"Alright, I'll save you lot from starvation, on the condition that you introduce me to this lovely lady," he said gallantly, bowing to Iris, the `lovely lady' in question. Iris blinked, then returned the compliment. 

Irvine stepped forward to do the honours. 

"President Laguna Loire, may I present her ladyship the oh-so-horrible Iris Bardok?" he announced formally. 

Inwardly, Laguna gasped. _Bardok? Couldn't be!_ However, outwardly his composure held and didn't betray any of his inner emotions. He took Iris's hand and gave it a chaste kiss. Iris blinked in surprise, but didn't object. 

"Would you enlighten me on why this Lady Bardok is `oh-so-horrible'?" Laguna asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. 

"You'll find out," Irvine muttered darkly. 

Just then, Zell stumbled towards Laguna and collapsed at his feet. 

"Must... have... food..." he moaned. 

Laguna laughed and shook his head at Zell's comic antics. It was surprising what some people did for food. 

"Alright then, let's find something to sustain the body," he said. 

The group made their way into the Garden, searching for the nearest open cafeteria. Before Laguna completely turned his attention to the other SeeDs, and briefly took note of the fact that Iris's eyes were a vivid amber. 

It was definitely food for thought. 


	7. Flashback 1: The Anger Burns, Can't Reme...

Flashback 1: The Anger Burns, Can't Remember Why 

* * *

_ Brother, my Brother,  
Tell me, what are we fighting for?  
We've got to end this war,  
We should love one another,  
Oh, can't we just pretend  
This war never began?  
We can try, brother, my brother.  
_

* * *

She flew. Where, she didn't know. The air whistled around her as she sped through the night sky. There was little wind, so the small engines of her glider were on, and emitted a cool blue glow. In any case, it matched the cold of the night. Here in Trabia, even early autumn evenings were already bitterly cold. Plus, it seemed winter was coming early this year. Her hands felt like they were freezing to the handlebars. Still, she welcomed the cold. It soothed the burning turmoil in her mind. 

With a small tilt in her weight, she made the glider fly closer to the ground, speeding over the snow. The velocity brought tears to her eyes. Or at least, that is what she told herself. 

_Report, Commander. -- Sir, Miriam Seldin was killed in battle, saving Kira Bardok. -- What? -- Affirmative. Bardok froze in the path of a missile. Seldin saved her, but at the cost of her own life. -- This was all due to incompetence? -- Sir... -- We cannot afford that in a war like this. The Galbadians aren't fools. Put her into the front line. If she cannot serve as a knight, make her serve as a pawn. And take away her rank as a SeeD. -- Yes sir._

With another slight tilt backwards, the glider spiralled back up. The full moon briefly dazzled her already stinging eyes. She flew straight ahead once more, letting the glider gain speed. I she could only fly fast enough, she would leave behind that sick feeling in her stomach and the lump in her throat. 

The speed she was going at caused the tears to run along her temples horizontally. _Face it, Kira, Miriam is dead. And it's all your fault!_ Her grip tightened on the handlebars, and her breath caught in her chest. _Tomorrow, you will wake up with a position in the front line. The dishonoured SeeD. Beautiful April fools joke._

The still night air was starting to get some movement in it. Winds started plucking at the tiny plane, and small tufts of snow were kicked up. Kira flew close to the ground again, trying to watch the sparkling display nature was putting on. 

Suddenly, she found herself engulfed in a blinding storm. The elements battered her tiny glider, and frost collected in her eyebrows. She clung on for dear life... _dear life? What is still dear about it? How much lower can you go? Your best friend is dead. You have lost your rank as a SeeD. Not to mention instructor. You have dishounoured yourself... how can this be your life...? Could it be a bad dream...? Maybe you will wake up... this could end any minute... Stop fooling yourself! Hyne, get me out of this madness! Anywhere, just out!_

Her grip was loosening. It would be so easy to die now... Her frozen hands were weakening. So tired... wait! The storm was clearing! She was regaining control of her plane, and a sweet breeze carried her through the air. 

Her eyes scanned the frozen land, searching for a familiar landmark. Were was she...? She couldn't tell, it was too dark. Too dark? But... the full moon? Kira searched the sky, and found only a tiny sickle of a moon. _What the...?_

She immediately searched for constellations she knew. Her eyes searched for the diamond shape of the Northern Warrior. She couldn't find him anywhere. But he was up all night at this time of year! She found a place to land. A smooth, slightly diagonal surface served as a landing site. 

_Where the hell am I?_ She was about to trudge to smoother ground when her foot slipped. She just managed to steady herself. _What the...?_ She had uncovered a smooth surface under the snow. Wood! 

She hopped to smoother ground, and promptly landed on something which gave a loud crack. In the dark, she couldn't tell what it was, but she could make out the silhouette of something distinctly manmade. Twelve planks in the shape of a flower, stirring slightly in the wind... her eyes widened when she realised that it was none other than one of the windmills the old Terrans used to use. No way! But the evidence was in front of her! And it was becoming clearer in the light of the dawn. Unfortunately, that also allowed her to see what she had landed on. 

She moaned at what she saw. The crack her landing had given had come from a bare human skull she had crushed. However, the face of the skull had still remained intact. The empty eye sockets looked at her plaintively over the permanently grinning mouth. 

Kira picked up the skull which had been separated from the rest of the bone structure which lay at her feet. 

"Alas, poor Yorick," she muttered, while ordering her unhappy stomach to stay put. 

She gazed up at the windmill again, and noted that she had landed her glider onto the roof of a cabin of sorts. `Yorick' was lying only a few paces from the door. Kira timidly pushed the handle down, and the door swung open. However, that wasn't the only thing which happened. An overpowering odour of rat dung assaulted her. She gagged, but forced herself to look inside. 

Obviously, the cabin had been neatly kept until Yorick's death, but the rats had done their utmost to destroy that work. 

Kira sighed. _Looks like in any case, you'll be stuck here for a while, old girl. But first things first._ She yanked the windows open and hunted for something resembling a spade. What she did find was a shovel. That would do. 

Five paces away from the mill, under a line or pinetrees, she dug a shallow pit. Luckily, the ground wasn't frozen yet. She paused to catch her breath, then yanked Yorick out of his awkward position. With a determined effort, she placed him into the pit. 

She was about to start heaping the earth on him when she thought the better of it. She forced herself to enter the cabin again, looking for anything personal which had belonged to Yorick. On a small table lay an open book with a strange handwriting she couldn't read in it. A quill lay next to it, covered in dust. A diary, apparently. Kira snatched it and fled the putrid cabin. She placed the diary on Yorick's chest and started heaping the earth onto him. 

"Rest In Peace, Yorick. I'll sow seeds in your name sometime or something, I promise," she whispered. 

Yorick's plaintive grin was the last thing she saw of him. 

* * *

_ We faced each other from different sides,  
The anger burns, can't remember why.  
It's kinda crazy to cause such pain,  
Our foolish pride makes us hate this way.  
We watch our world fall apart,  
Tell me, what good is winning,  
When you lose your heart?  
_

* * *

_Two years later..._

Laguna shouldered his machine gun and trudged through the snow with a sigh. Even though he was dressed warmly, he was cold, and longed to return to Galbadia. Yet he was stuck here in Trabia, for the sake of a war which had already dragged on ridiculously long. He didn't think anyone even remembered exactly why exactly the war had started - he certainly didn't. 

The icy wind plucked at his ponytail and sent chills down his back where it hit his neck. Laguna clapped his hand over it to shield it from the worst of the cold. However, he had to keep his hands ready in the case of an attack, so he was forced to leave his neck and throat exposed. He scolded himself for not bringing a scarf. 

Laguna stopped briefly to untie his ponytail. Hopefully, that would provide some marginal protection. He would have to live with having it blow all over the place. Once this war was over, he'd probably have to cut it off due to wind-induced tangles. He sneered in disgust. He supposed he still had to be alright if he worried about his hair. At least that was supposedly something they say about women, and his friend Kiros often teased him, saying he must have been a woman in a past life. A little under a month ago, he and Ward had decorated Laguna's hair with little pink ribbons to celebrate his twenty-fifth birthday. That was all they could really do to mark the occasion, since the war camp didn't allow for much more. 

The young soldier focused his mind back on the task at hand. He had been told to scout the area, looking for any Trabians who might be sneaking around, trying to attack. His first line of orders was to try and take some prisoners, but kill them if necessary. Personally, Laguna hoped it wouldn't come to that. He hated killing, and he hoped that he wouldn't meet anyone, for the alternative wasn't that much better. 

Laguna trudged on, shaking his snow shoes free of snow every now and again. It was hard, tiring work. He was glad for the goggles which protected his eyes from the glare, but the wind still left his ears and nose freezing. He suspected he couldn't have gotten very far by the time night had begun to fall. 

It was getting colder. Laguna was sorely tempted to sit down somewhere and rest, but he would probably just turn weary and end up freezing to death if he did that. Besides, the full moon and clear sky were too good to waste. With a gusty sigh, he continued walking. The wind continued to pluck at his hair and clothes, and his ears and nose had gone numb from the cold. He was learning to respect the Trabians for being able to survive in this cold if necessary. 

Suddenly, the wind picked up, almost blinding him. Once again, he was grateful for his goggles. He lifted his arms and tried to shield himself. In the distance, he could hear the roar of thunder. The wind escalated to a storm and whistled around him at a shocking speed, until he felt like he would suffocate. 

_All because of this stupid war,_ he thought with passionate resent. _Because of that, I'm going to be stuck in the middle of nowhere of Trabia, and turn into a popsicle!_ He clapped his hands over his ears to block out the shrieking storm. _Holy Hyne, **Get me out of this!**_

The storm reached a thundering crescendo, then disappeared as suddenly as it had come. Laguna removed his hands from his ears and opened his eyes in confusion. One minute, it had seemed like he would be frozen solid, the next he was looking at the frosted snow glittering innocently in the moonlight, not even noticeably stirred up. Laguna blinked in surprise. He looked around for any of the landmarks he remembered - and found none. The mountain range he had been vaguely heading for had disappeared. A moon sickle shone feebly in the slowly darkening sky. 

_Moon sickle?_ Laguna thought in utter confusion. Something was very wrong here. Had he somehow been frozen for a few days and suddenly cracked out of his ice shell? He dismissed that thought as soon as it came to him. Obviously, something had happened which he didn't understand, much to his bewilderment. 

Laguna started trudging through the snow towards a dark line of some pine trees in the distance. Hopefully, he would be able to find some relative shelter. A brief look back revealed his footsteps starting in the middle of the snow, with nothing leading up to them. He shook his head in bewilderment. If he ever got home, he would have some story to tell, no doubt. 

After a few hundred paces, Laguna realised that to his left, the ground suddenly dropped downward. He knelt down and realised that there was a small canyon he hadn't seen from far off. That would probably provide a good temporary shelter. If he was lucky, he might even find a cave down there. The Galbadian soldier took his climbing equipment out of his pack, grateful for the fact that the climb wasn't long. 

With a rope secured around his waist and tied to one of the nearby pines, Laguna began the descent. His two axes lodged firmly into the ice, giving him some decent balance. Within a reasonably short time, he had reached the bottom of the canyon. It was closed on one side. Laguna was very grateful for that. This was probably the best windbreak he could hope for. 

He was about to hunt for something which would let him light a meagre fire when loud, wheezing breath startled him into turning around. 

Laguna's eyes widened in terror. He stood face to face with the scaly blue form of a dragon. 

The dragon stared down at the intruder, irritated that something so tiny should dare to enter its domain. 

Laguna slowly reached for the machine gun he had slung over his shoulder. _Slowly... slowly... don't provoke it..._ His hand closed around the familiar weapon and slowly levelled it at the monster in front of him. The dragon still stared at him in a hostile manner, but looked like it hadn't decided what to do about his presence yet. 

Suddenly, Laguna's slow, uprovocative movements gave way to a lightning-quick round of bullets. Laguna shot for all he was worth, praying that the bullets would pierce the dragon's scales. The dragon roared in fury, and a pale blue beam shot from its mouth. There was no time for Laguna to dodge. He was enveloped in searing cold, adding to his weariness. The last thing he saw was a pair of white wings and a humanoid form obstructing the view of the dragon. 

* * *

_ Brother, my brother,  
Tell me, what are we fighting for?  
Isn't life worth so much more?  
We should love one another,  
Oh, can't we just pretend  
This war never began?  
Tell me why, brother my brother.  
We can try, brother my brother. _

* * *

Kira leapt off her glider, grasping the situation immediately. It seemed like her gut feeling had been right about a dragon growling at something in a closed canyon. Railgun in hand, she focused on the monster. If she could just... 

She shot at one of its eyes, causing it to roar in pain. That was all she needed. The blue creature's mouth opened wide, revealing a clear path to its brain. Kira sent a round of railgun pellets straight into its mouth. The dragon couldn't even roar in protest as it toppled over. It was dead before hitting the ground. 

That done, Kira dropped her railgun and ran towards the dragon's victim. He had been encased in a layer of ice when the dragon's freezing breath hit him. Yet his cheeks were flushed. Kira decided to risk it and kicked hard, hoping that it wouldn't hurt the stranger. A long crack ran along the ice, and the man who has been inside collapsed, unconcious. However, he was obviously breathing as well as shaking uncontrollably. Hypothermia. 

Kira bit her lip, and wondered what to do. Her eyes flicked to the dead dragon. She brandished her knife and slit open its stomach. While she was trying to find a solution, she could at least cut some of the meat off. That along the stomach was the best. Blood trickled onto the snow as she worked. Her eyes narrowed. If she could transport that much meat... 

The Trabian quickly finished cutting loose a large slab, then opened one of the small compartments of her glider and produces a few lengths of rope. She dragged the light aircraft to the stranger and set to work tying his wrists to the handlebars. It was the best she could do. She tied the slab of meat to the handle underneath, and kick-started the engine. 

With a small sputter of protest at the weight it had to carry, the glider lifted slightly and caught a gust of wind. They were airborne. The man tied to the bars underneath her hung limply and slowed the flight a little, but it worked. Kira tilted her head up so his long hair didn't tickle her nose. Sneezing was one of the most inconvenient things during a flight. 

* * *

_ Let's take a moment and look deep inside,  
And say we're willing to give love a try.  
We're not as different as we seem to be,  
There's so much more to me than what you see.  
Don't have to be this way,  
Think about the consequences,  
Then turn round and walk away.  
_

* * *

He woke up, his vision blurred, and his mind buzzing in confusion. He felt distinctly like his film had torn or something, for he felt warm. That did not compute with the fact that he had been fighting a dragon and freezing his most precious body part off. 

His vision cleared a little, and a wooden ceiling came into view - lit electrically. Laguna blinked in confusion. The sound of boiling water and fingernails tapping a rythm on a wooden board caught his attention. He turned his head to the right. He caught sight of someone (quite tall) standing with his or her back to him. A plait of dark hair hung half-way down that someone's back, and that someone wore a grey jumper and faded jeans. Laguna blinked a little. His blurred vision hadn't completely recovered yet. 

"Kiros?" he mumbled in confusion. 

The someone he had more or less addressed spun around to face him. His vision now a lot clearer, Laguna noted that the someone was female and by no means black. Obviously _not_ Kiros. 

The someone who was not Kiros made her way to Laguna, an uncertain smile on her face. She crouched down, causing Laguna to take note of the fact that he was lying on a mattress on the floor, wrapped in blankets. Before he could ponder that, the someone who was not Kiros helped him sit up and handed him a mug containing a steaming liquid. 

"Careful, it's hot," she said in a quiet voice. 

Laguna stared at the mug, slightly dumbfounded. He still hadn't woken up properly, and wondered what exactly he was supposed to do with it. Only when the delicious smell of broth drifted to his nostrils did he remember. 

"Thank you," he said quietly and blew the hot liquid before taking a sip. It had an unfamiliar, though not altogether unpleasant taste. 

If nothing else, the broth woke him up, and allowed him to study the someone who was not Kiros. She was about his height, with long dark hair swept back into a loose plait. Her eyes were a startling amber, and she had soft features. A small, rounded nose and a soft mouth stood over a stubborn chin. Through the over-large jumper, Laguna could see hints of a slim, wiry figure. Not unpleasant to look at. 

Laguna offered the empty mug back to the someone who was not Kiros. She took it from him and placed it next to her. That done, she bowed slightly. 

"I'm Kira Bardok," she said in a clear voice. 

Laguna's eyes widened. He recognised the accent. 

"You're Trabian," he blurted out. 

"And you're Galbadian. But that doesn't really matter here, because the war is Hyne knows how many thousand miles or light years away, if it's still going on." 

Laguna stared at her, trying to digest that information. Kira raised an eyebrow at him. 

"While you're trying to come up with something intelligent to say, why don't you enlighten me on what your name is?" she said drily. 

Laguna blushed for some unknown reason. 

"My name is Laguna Loire," he said quietly. 

Kira's mouth curved into a small smile. 

"Quite a watery name, don't you think?" 

He blinked in confusion. Kira's smile widened. 

"Both your first and your last name are the names of sites of water on old Terra. Laguna, like a beach in America, and Loire, like a river in Europe." 

Laguna blinked again. "Oh." 

Kira grinned, revealing rows of straight teeth and deep dimples. Her grin was infectious, and Laguna almost found himself returning it. 

"Maybe you should get some more sleep. It might help you deal with confusion." 

Laguna nodded in vigorous agreement. "Good idea." 

Just before dropping off, Laguna could hear her hum a fairly pleasant tune while rinsing out the mug. It looked like wherever he had landed, he wouldn't be bored. He couldn't wait to find out more about this Kira Bardok. 

* * *

_ Brother, my brother,  
Tell me what are we fighting for?  
Isn't life worth so much more?  
We should love one another,  
Oh, can't we just pretend  
This war never began?  
Tell me why, brother, my brother.  
_

* * *


	8. The Babysitter's Club

Chapter 7: The Babysitter's Club 

* * *

Laguna sat at his computer terminal, his hands flying over the keyboard. A web browser appeared on the screen, bearing Balamb Garden's search engine. Blue-green eyes narrowed as long slender hands hit several keys, and the words `Iris Bardok' appeared on the screen. Laguna hit the `Enter' key and leaned back, watching the screen intently. 

For a few seconds, the terminal hummed slightly as a sign it was searching, and a screen of search results came up. Laguna scrolled through the results, but found nothing. There were plenty or Irises, but not an Iris Bardok. He sighed and leaned back. He was just about to shut down the terminal when something caught his eye. _Juniko Bardok_. 

_Zell's eyes filled with delight at the sight of a tray laden with hot dogs. He gave a cheer and snatched one of them. The girl Irvine had identified as `Iris Bardok' leaned over to him._

_"Any barbecue sauce on it yet?" she inquired._

_Zell's face fell a little. "No, have to find some."_

_"Good."_

_With that, Iris snatched the hot dog from Zell's grip, and before her friend could protest, she started eating it at an impressive speed. The only reason Zell could beat her in terms of speed-eating was the fact that Iris refused to let her table manners to sink to Zell's level._

_"Junikoooo," Zell wailed. "That was mine!"_

_Iris grinned and grabbed another hot dog from the tray._

_"You know what they say, the only thing better than your food is someone else's. Cheer up, there's plenty left."_

_Zell grumbled and reached for another one himself. This time, he made sure that nobody could snatch his food from him while he devoured it..._

Laguna returned to the presence. The name `Juniko Bardok' was still on the screen, seemingly a little bolder than the other names. Laguna clicked the link. Immediately, a small page of stats came up. 

_**Juniko Bardok**_

_ Occupation: A-rank SeeD  
Birthdate: Unknown  
Age: Suspected to be 18  
Age enrolled at Garden: Suspected to be 5  
Height: 6'0"  
Eye colour: amber  
Hair colour: brown  
Specialisation: unarmed combat and sword combat  
Other: gunblade, chain whip, nunchaku  
Special features: strands of white hair at the front._

_Disappeared three months after the downfall of Ultimecia._

Laguna's eyes narrowed. Juniko/Iris's disappearance did explain why he hadn't seen her around. This file was obviously out of date. Ultimecia's downfall had been a little over two years ago - which would make Iris about twenty years old. 

Laguna leaned back and closed his eyes. So far, it looked like his theory was right. He recalled the last night. He had got a good look at Iris, and had noted a certain resemblance between her and Squall. Though she smiled frequently, the few times she had slipped into a neutral expression her face had automatically slipped into a slight pout, similar to Squall. She even seemed to have that same habit of not moving her head much during conversation, just her eyes flicking around the table. She also had a similar build to Squall, though she was quite a bit taller. Her hazelnut locks even fell in the same way Squall's did. And on the frequent occasion that she smiled, she revealed a toothy grin and deep dimples. And then there were the amber eyes. It really didn't seem likely to be a coincidence. 

* * *

Alia left her classroom, humming a merry tune. She had finished a whole day of lessons without annoying any of the teachers, so she felt quite proud of herself. She was tempted to swing the arm which was carrying her books, but that would probably cause them to scatter across the floor. So she settled for whistling instead of humming. 

"Hey, Liko!" a male voice called from behind her. 

Alia stopped and turned around. She caught sight of a familiar grey trenchcoat and head of short-cropped blond hair. Seifer briefly waved as he walked towards her. 

"Class finished already?" he asked as he reached her. 

Alia nodded. 

"Yup," she said cheerfully. "I'm going to put my books away, and then go find the others. Wanna come?" 

Seifer laid his arm around her shoulder. 

"I'll come for the first half of the excursion, but you'll have to convince me to help you find the others," he said. 

Alia grinned happily. Usually it wasn't too hard to convince Seifer, since he didn't mind mingling that much any more. She swapped her books to her other hand and slipped her free arm into Seifer's trenchcoat and around his waist. 

On the way to Alia's room, a few heads turned at the sight of the couple. A group of girls they walked past whispered excitedly. 

"Look, there's the jerk and his girlfriend!" - "I wonder how Squall can trust him around his sister! I certainly wouldn't." 

Alia could feel Seifer stiffening a little. She caught the eye of one of the gossips and stuck her tongue out at her. The nameless gossip glared indignantly and pointed it out to her friends. Alia sent them a cheeky grin and a little wave. Seifer relaxed again, and Alia heard him chuckle to himself. 

Seifer stopped outside Alia's room as she deposited her books. She came out again and looked at him inquisitively. 

"So, you coming?" 

Seifer grinned down at her, a touch of his old evil smirk showing in it. 

"What are you going to do to convince me?" he teased. 

Alia grinned back. "I'll babysit Raijin for an hour," she coaxed. 

Seifer chuckled. 

"Not necessary," he said in a quiet voice. 

During their short conversation, he had moved closer to her, and she could hear his breath clearly. Alia grinned. She knew very well what would come next. She put her arms around Seifer's neck just before he leaned down far enough to kiss her. 

Alia let her fingertips tickle the nape of his neck. She had to reach up very far to do that. It surprised her that Seifer didn't break himself in two every time he kissed her, since he had to lean down very far. A mental image of Seifer bent double came into her mind, causing her to giggle involuntarily. 

Seifer broke the kiss and raised and eyebrow at her. 

"I'm glad you find me kissing you so funny," he said in a slightly hurt voice. 

Alia laughed and hugged him around the waist while resuming her position snuggled in the crook of his right arm. That way, his right hand could cup her elbow. There were some definite advantages to being short. 

Seifer grinned and dropped his `hurt' act. 

"Come on, let's find your posse," he said, and they made their way to the cafeteria. 

* * *

They found Squall sitting at one of the empty tables, practically buried in paperwork of some sort or another. _The only thing missing is a pair of tiny glasses,_ Alia thought and giggled. An image of Squall wearing Headmaster Cid's glasses and suit had popped into her head. 

"I don't even want to know," Seifer commented at her giggling antics. 

"Don't worry, it's completely harmless," Alia assured him. "Don't you think Squall would look cute wearing Headmaster Cid's suit and glasses?" 

Seifer snorted. 

"Let's go tell him that," he suggested with an evil grin. 

"You just wanna torment my bro," Alia mock-accused him. 

Seifer looked down at her with a mock-shocked expression. 

"_Me?_ Never!" 

They both laughed and made their way towards Squall, who was sitting with his back to them. Seifer separated from Alia and tiptoed up to him. 

Suddenly, he dramatically slapped his hands onto the table and leaned over, supporting his weight on his hands. 

"You know, old enemy, all work and no play makes Squall a very dull boy," Seifer greeted him. 

Squall flicked his eyes up to Seifer without moving his head, lips slightly pursed. Alia sidled up next to Seifer again, and noted that the result of that was a disapproving expression remarkably similar to the one Headmaster Cid sometimes wore. She grinned from ear to ear. 

"And all play and no work makes Seifer a real jerk," Squall retorted drily. 

"What? No `whatever'? Who are you, Headmaster Cid in disguise?" 

Alia succumbed to fits of giggles. 

"Not quite," Squall answered, his tone remaining extremely dry. "I'm the Disciplinary Committee in disguise." 

He waved Seifer's file in front of his nose with a devilish grin. 

"Only two more times to be caught T-boarding, and you'll be forbidden to have one on the premises before becoming an instructor." 

"Hey!" Seifer snatched for the sheet of paper, but Squall was faster. 

Alia eyed the pile of paperwork curiously. 

"Have you got your hands on my file?" she inquired. 

"Let me think..." 

"Does it hurt?" three voices inquired promptly. 

Seifer and Alia blinked simultaneously. If they had been anime characters, they would have been very dot-eyed. 

"Only very rarely," Squall answered their question calmly. "It gets less every time." 

However, Seifer and Alia were a lot more interested in the pair of feet which stuck out from a bench on the other side of the table. 

The owner of the feet turned out to be none other than Iris Bardok, wearing a sleeping mask. 

"What are you doing here?" Seifer demanded incredulously. 

Iris slipped her sleeping mask over her head. 

"May I inform you that I was here first, Soap-man?" Seifer glowered at the nickname. "I was trying to catch up on some Z's, and I was overdue for babysitting Squall." 

Seifer turned to Squall, grinning evilly. 

"Awwww, poor baby Squawwy, wanna dummy?" 

"Shaddup." 

* * *


	9. New Revelation

Chapter 8: New Revelation 

* * *

"Selphie, is this going to take much longer?" Iris asked in exasperation. "My arms are getting sore." 

Selphie's head poked out of the theatre's dressing room, looking somewhat dishevelled. 

"Just two more minutes," she piped. "I'm having a little trouble getting the bar out. Think you can hold out that long?" 

Iris heaved a sigh. She was holding up the central point of numerous garlands which criss-crossed all over the place, and if left to their own devices, would get into a hopeless tangle. 

"I suppose so." 

"Great!" 

Selphie ducked back into the dressing room, and grunts of effort accompanied by metal grating against wood could be heard. Two minutes later, Selphie emerged, looking even more dishevelled and carrying a metal pole almost twice her height. 

"Okay, you can let go now," Selphie said after attaching the garlands to one end of the pole. Iris gratefully let go and tried to work some feeling back into her arms. 

Selphie stuck the other end of the pole into the hole in the ground which had been put there for that purpose. That done, she turned around and beamed up at Iris. 

"Thanks a lot! Can you help me with the props too?" 

Iris sighed and buried her face in one hand. 

"Why me, Hyne?" she asked. 

"Well, I needed someone tall to do this. Usually I get Irvy to do it, but I couldn't find him. He's probably hiding, I've put a lot of pressure on his patience lately. And besides, with your slippers you're actually an inch taller than him." 

"Lucky me," Iris said monotonously. 

Selphie grinned. 

"Cheer up," she piped happily. "It's gonna be one great pahtay!" 

She did a little twirl and danced back into the dressing room to get the props. Iris was about to follow when she caught sight of a black hat peeking around the corner. 

"Irvine!" she yelled. "Get your butt over here NOW!" 

"Eep!" Irvine tried to make a run for it, but Iris had already hopped off the stage and assaulted the Galbadian cowboy. 

"You're coming with me," she said grimly and dragged him to the stage, holding on to his right ear. 

Selphie just came out of the dressing room in time to see the pair. 

"Hi Irvy!" she called happily. 

"He just came to take my place for the rest of the day," Iris said with a smile. 

"Junikooo..." Irvine moaned. 

"Hey, I did my part for today! And my name is Iris." 

Selphie decided to pick that moment to use her charms. She sauntered up to Irvine and gave him a kiss on the cheek. 

"Cheer up, Irvy," she said, then snatched his hat. Irvine cried out in protest and grabbed for it, but Selphie was faster. He was forced to chase her halfway across the stage before he caught her. He lifted her clear off the ground and turned around a few times. Selphie giggled uncontrollably as he kissed her smartly on the nose. 

"Give," Irvine said sternly, though still with a grin. Selphie, still clear off the ground, considered briefly, then hugged the hat close and shook her head. 

"Mine!" she said decisively. 

"Yours?" 

"Yes, mine!" 

"No it's not!" 

Selphie grinned and put the hat on. 

"I'll give it back after you've helped me with the props." 

Irvine raised an eyebrow. 

"Promise?" 

"Promise!" 

Irvine sighed and let her down. Selphie gave a happy little twirl and latched on to one of Irvine's arms. Iris breathed a sigh of relief and quickly made her way down the hallways. It was best to get away quickly before Selphie changed her mind. 

The SeeD walked towards the nearest exit, hands in pockets and whistling to herself. Now that she had escaped Selphie, she had the rest of the day to herself. Maybe she could go down to the beach at Balamb? The weather was nice enough. Outside, the sun was shining, with just enough of a breeze blowing. Iris briefly considered getting her T-Board, then decided against it. Walking would do fine today. 

* * *

Iris sat at one of the docks, heels kicking against the concrete. The light breeze ruffled her white bangs and brought the salty scent of the sea to her nostrils. She leaned back a little, and considered her situation. She had returned to the place which would always be home to her, and her friends had taken her back without question. Except Lloric. The thought of him brought a little painful twinge to her heart. She could shove a thought aside well enough, so it didn't hurt her constantly, but she couldn't leave it like that forever. Sooner or later, she would have to confront it if she didn't want a tiny grain of sadness living in her. She sighed. She would have to either somehow get his forgiveness, or learn to live without it. She really hoped it would come to the former. 

"Hello, Iris!" a male voice greeted her from behind. 

Iris turned her head to see Laguna Loire and Kiros Seagill making their way towards her. Both were casually dressed in cord pants and flannel shirts. Iris got up from her sitting place and almost found herself bowing before she caught herself. She had almost forgotten that bowing in greeting was not generally done in Balamb. Instead of finishing the slight bow she had started, she simply turned it into a friendly nod. 

"Good morning, President Loire," she said pleasantly. Her usual smile had automatically slipped into place. She supposed it happened so easily because no matter what her mood was, her polite smile during a greeting was always genuine. 

Laguna shook her hand. 

"Please, I'd much prefer if you'd call me Laguna," he said in an equally pleasant tone. 

Iris nodded slowly, once again fighting back the urge to bow. 

"Alright... Laguna." 

She turned her attention to Kiros Seagill. Or at least, she was fairly sure it was Kiros Seagill. She knew him to be friends with President Loire... Laguna, and he _did_ bear a resemblance to Lloric. 

"Good morning," she said, smothering a third bow. Instead, she extended her hand for the dark man to shake. "I'm Iris Bardok." 

Shockingly white teeth flashed in Kiros's dark face as he grinned. 

"Kiros Seagill," he introduced himself. "But I believe I have heard of you, if you used to go by the name of `Juniko Bardok'." 

Iris smiled wryly. 

"You will have," she said as she shook his hand. "I'm afraid I might have... offended... your son." She could feel herself blushing slightly as Kiros briefly studied her with a look of amusement which turned into another grin. 

"I don't think I understand my dear son. If I were his age, I think I would have forgiven you for anything." 

Iris's blush deepened. Laguna cuffed his friend playfully. 

"You're embarrassing our company, Kiros. Go do something useful and find Ward." 

"You'd think it'd be hard to lose a guy is size," Kiros muttered. Just before ambling off, he laid a hand on Iris's shoulder. 

"My son seems to have inherited his sensitivity from his mother. Give him some time. He'll come around," he said in a quietly reassuring way. That done, he went in search of his over-sized friend. 

As soon as Kiros had disappeared from view, Laguna sat down where Iris had been sitting before and gestured for her to sit down next to him. Iris shrugged and obeyed. A small alarm bell was going off in her head though. 

Laguna smiled at the young woman next to him. 

"So, how long has it been since you returned to Garden?" he asked in a conversational tone. 

Iris blinked. 

"How do you know I was ever gone?" 

"I haf my vays," Laguna said with a grin. 

"You snooped in my file," Iris said flatly. 

"It's on public access," he pointed out. 

Iris waved the answer aside and supported her head in her hand. 

"Why don't you just spit out what's bothering you?" 

Iris winced inwardly at her own bluntness. But she had said it now. 

Laguna stroked his chin thoughtfully, studying the slightly irritated-looking girl in front of him. She seemed so much like Squall just then, and so much like Kira as well... 

"Alright," he said quietly. "You remind me a lot of a woman I once knew, who went by the name of Kira Bardok. And I was wondering whether you might be related to her." 

Iris's head flew up in surprise. Could it be that this man knew something about her that she herself didn't? 

"I wouldn't know," she said slowly, studying Laguna intently. "I never knew either of my parents. Until I came to Garden, I had lived at the orphanage at Balamb for as long as I can remember." 

Laguna sighed and leaned back slightly. 

"I see. But if you find out anything of that sort, I should like to know." 

He was about to get up when Iris stopped him. 

"Do you still have any contact to this... Kira Bardok?" 

Laguna shook his head sadly. 

"No. That's why I asked you, I thought you might know where she is now. The only thing I know is that she originally came from Trabia, if that helps." 

The president of Esthar got up, briefly took Iris's hand, and wove his way through the thin crowd of people towards the hulking form of Ward Zabac. 

Iris looked into the waves, pondering what she had just learned, and letting her heels kick against the concrete again. It looked like she had something to research. 

* * *


	10. Just One Of Those Days

Chapter 9: Just One Of Those Days 

* * *

Zell strolled through the halls of the Garden, feeling somewhat bored. As it tended to happen on weekends when he had nothing to do, he could feel himself slowly filling with a dangerous energy. The sort of energy which made him want to go look for trouble. It was nothing malicious, just his rebellious and defiant side showing through every now and again. He half-hoped he would find two hot-heads brawling, so he would have an excuse. Just getting involved to stop the brawl would calm him down. 

The nineteen-year-old stopped to kick the wall lightly. He then continued on his way, working punches and strikes into his strides every now and again. After a while, when the hallway was completely clear, he decided to take a chance. He took off at a run and launched himself into the air, his right leg coming up in a smooth snapping kick, and landed neatly on his left leg. 

Zell preened his slightly mussed hair in satisfaction. With that kick, he could have even hit someone Seifer's height in the face. Whistling the tune of `Wouldn't it be Loverly' jauntily and stuffing his hands into his pockets, Zell continued his aimless path. Maybe he could find Juniko for some sparring? Though they were no longer as tuned in on each other as in the days when they constantly sparred with each other, the thought seemed appealing enough. 

Zell wandered towards Iris's room, hoping he'd find her there. He rapped on the door, waiting for a reply. 

The door opened, revealing Alia dressed in baggy grey trackpants and a slightly mussed singlet. Judging by the open book and slightly tangled sheets on her bed, she must have been reading. 

"Hey Zell, wassup?" she asked cheerfully. 

Zell shrugged. 

"Not much. Seen Juniko?" 

Alia's sapphire eyes took on a look of slight confusion behind the curtain of her too long fringe. 

"No, actually, I haven't seen her all day." 

Zell sighed. 

"Ok, thanks. See ya, Liko." 

He waved briefly and made his way down the hallway. He blew a stray lock of his blond hair out of his forehead. He hadn't done a very good job of spiking it up that morning. Zell sighed again, not really wanting to go back to his usual occupation of shadow-boxing. He was in no mood to get strange looks just then, that might cause his mood to worsen enough to have a very bad effect on his behaviour. 

The short youth lazily strolled towards the cafeteria. If he was lucky, he would be able to wheedle one of the serving ladies to cough up some hot dogs a little earlier than usual. 

Luckily, there was no line at the counter, so he wouldn't waste too much time. One of the serving ladies immediately came to the counter when she saw him. 

"No, Zell, you can't have any hot dogs yet," she greeted him. 

Zell put on his best puppy-dog look. 

"Aaaww, come on, Genevieve, you know I love you... can't you make a tiny little exception for little old me? You know you want to." 

Genevieve's mouth twitched, trying not to smile. 

"I'm sorry, Zell, but they're not done yet." 

Zell heaved a dramatic sigh as if he were going to die of sorrow. 

"Fine. Be that way, Gennie. I'll go seek my amusement elsewhere then." 

The lady grinned. 

"See you later, Zell." 

Zell grumbled to himself, and made his way towards The Bowl. It looked like he'd have to train alone. 

* * *

Zell completed what must have been the fiftieth kata, soaked in sweat. He grabbed for a towel and dried off his face, feeling somewhat better than he had an hour before. A good work-out tended to do that to him. He took out a few gil and bought a bottle of clear mountain water from the beverage machine near the exit. 

He was about to leave when a flash of metal caught his attention. Among the other SeeDs and Instructors who were training, a dark figure wielding katals slashed at the air savagely, eyes narrowed. Zell watched, studying the Lloric's technique. He was good. Very good. 

Once he was done, Zell walked towards the taller SeeD. 

"Hey. Lloric, right?" 

The dark youth looked at him in surprise, then nodded. 

"What do you want?" 

Zell ran a hand through his hair, feeling slightly embarrassed. 

"Dunno. Just to talk, I guess." 

Lloric raised an eyebrow, then dried himself off vigorously. He had also worked up a sweat in his training. 

"I should think you would prefer talking to Juniko," he remarked icily. 

Zell recoiled. 

"What's got you so touchy about her?" Zell asked. "What did she every do to you?" 

"I don't happen to appreciate being screwed around by her, in every sense of the word, and then get run out on," Lloric answered coolly. 

Zell blinked at him and ran his hand through his hair once more. 

"I didn't know you and Juniko were..." 

"We weren't. Not until the day before she ran off, the little bitch." 

He didn't get to continue, for Zell had immediately grabbed the front of his singlet with a snarl. Despite the fact that Lloric towered over him by almost twelve inches, Zell somehow managed to be menacing enough to intimidate the dark-skinned SeeD. 

"I'm only gonna say this once," he hissed. "That is one of my best friends you're calling a bitch, and I'm not gonna let that slide just like that. Juniko has earned my friendship three times over, and if you can't get over one stupid mistake she may have made, then you're the one who's got a problem." 

He let go of the taller youth's singlet with a jerking motion, trying to calm his breathing. It had become quite heavy with anger. 

"I really don't get how she can still try to make up with someone who'll hold a stupid grudge for such a ridiculously long time." 

Lloric straightened his singlet with an expressionless face. 

"I was taking a huge chance with her, what with her being white and all. And she knew that." 

"Make excuses if you want," Zell growled. "I still won't have you badmouthing one of my best friends. I'm outta here." 

With that, he stamped out, fuming. So, at least he had found out what had Lloric so touchy. And what Quistis had been trying to get Juniko's mind off the other day. He sneered. It was truly beyond him how someone strong like Juniko could get upset over such a stupid bastard. Holding a grudge on a small mistake for a whole two years! But really... did Lloric maybe have a point? Zell's eyebrows knitted together in a scowl, dismissing the thought. After all, being the female, Juniko had been the one to take the greater risk. 

He was so busy fuming that he ran straight into a tall figure dressed in pale clothes. He was about to snipe at that person to watch where he was going when he saw who it was. 

Iris eyed her friend's ferocious scowl in surprise. 

"You wanna talk about it?" she asked. 

Zell blinked, and immediately found himself cooling down. Maybe it was Juniko's wide-eyed way of asking the question, or just her calm voice. 

"It's really just one of your problems I was getting pissed off about, actually." 

Iris fell into step next to him. 

"Oh? Do tell." 

"I just ran into your tight-assed ex back there," Zell explained with a wave of his hand towards The Bowl. "He told me exactly why he's holding that stupid grudge of his." 

Iris slowed her pace, forcing Zell to stop and turn to face her. 

"Can I defend him without you going off at me about being too weak or whatever?" 

Zell sighed. He had forgotten that Juniko could usually predict his actions. 

"Go ahead. It might make me understand why you would want to still try for that bum." 

"You may have forgotten how sensitive the guy can be. Plus, he tends to have problems seeing things from other people's point of view. I suspect if the whole thing had happened now, he wouldn't have acted like that in the first place, but as it is, he's got himself so deeply into that way of thinking, it's hard for him to get out. He's probably trying to convince himself that he was badly wronged, and it really wasn't a nice thing of me to do, but I don't think he's quite succeeding any more. All I can do is give him some time, I guess." 

Iris shrugged, signalling the end of her speech. Zell eyed her and scratched the back of his head. 

"I hate you so much. That actually makes sense." 

Iris grinned. 

"Come on, I'm going to the chocolate factory. It's my treat." 

Zell followed his friend, wondering once again how she could act so completely unconcerned about things which got him boiling at times. 

* * *


End file.
